On December 14-15, 2017 the international research consortium led by the Lomonosov Moscow State University (School of World Politics - Center for Security and Development Studies), University of California (Irvine) and Institute for Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, held an international academic conference' Empowering Sustainability in a Fragile World' in partnership with the Russian International Affairs Council and with financial support from the Russian Science Foundation (project №15-18-30066).